New Year... Old Year... DANCE BREAK!

With the new year, I have found that people start to focus on dichotomies: new/old, black/whites, studying the contrasts in the darks and lights in the chiaroschiros of our lives happening most often between the highs of the Decembers of our Christmases and the lows of the take-the-trees-down-days of the January doldrums. These in-between days often feel sluggish; they have days of nothing-much-to celebrate; no where to rush. No planned parties. No rules for taking down the decorations. There's no green, red, and white decorating rule. No one to complain if you say "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas" because... It's January, instead of December.

On TV, they're hawking StairMasters, Nutri-System promises their food tastes great, and Alton Brown has a special about how he got looking gaunt (seriously, I thought he was hiding cancer. I honestly thought he was ill instead of fit!) Every prime time show is in re-run; no more Christmas specials... And honestly, January is downright dull. There's a sea of fog, smog, and chill in the valley, and clearance in the stores. They haven't quite cleared out the Christmas stuff, and the Valentine's red-white-and-pink hasn't fluffed up the aisle quite yet. Resolution time.

My friend Mae says it's time for a dance break. I quite agree. Marky-Mark and his funky bunch came sledding on New Year's Day. They took a break, slid down my hill, just took the time to kick it a bit. Jen and Joe took a minute to enjoy the slopes a bit, too. Just a break. Aunt Anna Widerberg and her kids came too, but I didn't get a shot of them. I'd gone home and got a picture of Max, hanging at home with his dad...

Maybe that's all anyone needs: a chance to take a header down a lovely slope on a nice winter day: it was 45 degrees outside (we didn't even NEED coats!)

They say it might rain today... get rid of some of this valley smog, fog, etc. Won't that be lovely?